Seeking to Protect Taxpayer Dollars, Luetkemeyer Backs Balanced Budget Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. _ In an effort to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely to ensure economic stability for future generations, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) co-sponsored a bipartisan balanced budget constitutional amendment forcing Congress to enact fiscally responsible spending measures, reduce the deficit and ensure that the money our citizens work so hard to earn is not squandered on wasteful spending and programs.
So far, more than 100 members of Congress have supported the measure sponsored by Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia that prohibits Congress from spending more than it receives in revenues, requires the president to submit a balanced budget to Congress and requires a 3/5 majority vote to increase the debt limit, while also providing an exception in times of national emergencies.
A constitutional amendment will force Congress to eliminate unnecessary and wasteful spending and make the decisions necessary to balance the budget and eliminate the federal deficit. Currently, 49 of 50 state governments, including Missouri, have a balanced budget requirement.
“Working families in Missouri’s 9th District that are struggling to make ends meet understand the common-sense notion that you cannot spend more than you take in, which is why I am supporting this amendment requiring Congress to do the exact same thing,” Luetkemeyer said. “We cannot continue to spend taxpayer dollars recklessly and continue to run up the federal deficit for our children and our grandchildren to pay off.”
Luetkemeyer’s call for fiscal responsibility comes less than a week after the congressman co-sponsored the Stop Congressional Pay Raise Act of 2009 that would stop the next automatic pay increase for members of Congress. Last year a bipartisan group of legislators were unable to the stop the 2009 automatic pay raise from taking effect.
“It’s the people’s money and we must do all we can to ensure that we spend it wisely because it is our responsibility to do so,” Luetkemeyer said.